POSITION SUMMARY:
Under the general direction of the Administrative Director, and in collaboration with the Chief of Laboratory Medicine and Section Medical Director, leads, manages, monitors, implements and supervises testing quality and compliance standards in the department of pathology laboratory medicine and for affiliated community health centers (CHCs) as required. Manages a sub-specialty section for the Laboratory (Blood Bank and Transfusion Services, Central Receiving Area, Chemistry, Hematology, Phlebotomy). Ensures maintenance of standards that meet or exceed those required for College of American Pathologist (CAP) and The Joint Commission (TJC) accreditation and other external agencies (such as AABB, DPH). Champions RESPECT values.
Position: Laboratory Manager,
Department: Microbiology Lab
Schedule: Full Time
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:
Leadership
- Manages and leads a sub-specialty section of the Laboratory
(including but not limited to one of the following: Blood Bank and
Transfusion Services, Central Receiving Area, Chemistry, Hematology,
Phlebotomy).
- Assumes full responsibility for all laboratory staff in their section and their actions
- Champions
a laboratory and point-of-care environment that promotes quality and
compliance for all laboratory related tests and services, to ensure
patient and employee safety and satisfaction.
- Provides 24/7 call coverage.
- Contributes to and supports department Strategic Planning.
- Provides
a technically sound environment to optimize the quality of laboratory
services, including maintenance of equipment, evaluation of new
equipment and test assays.
- Exhibits innovation in planning improvements, promoting new programs and problem solving in area of responsibility.
- Values and responds to customer feedback by taking corrective action or improving suboptimal services.
- In accordance with department expectations responds to emails in a timely manner.
- Exercises
good judgment skills to effectively articulate organizational
values and to foster a cooperative spirit among the staff with regard to
people within and outside the department.
Fiscal Responsibility
- Takes full fiscal responsibility for section, including but not
limited to: preparing and managing an operating budget, managing
staffing expenses and overtime (OT), capital budget, analyzing billing
codes, preparing return on investment business analysis, fully
supporting the revenue integrity of the Laboratory including accurate
charges, billing and collections. Continually audits test billing codes
to ensure accuracy. Continually monitors overtime to achieve our goal
of <1.8% OT.
- Contributes to departmental goals of improving cost effectiveness, optimization of resources and revenue enhancement.
- Updates all equipment maintenance and service agreements in collaboration with the Supply Chain department.
Quality, Compliance and Safety
- Ensures quality and compliance data is collected, analyzed,
reviewed and disseminated in accordance with the requirements of
accrediting agencies, particularly the College of American Pathologists
(CAP) and our Patient Quality and Safety department.
- Ensures
all STARS Incident Safety reports are followed up to completion in a
timely manner. Informs Administrative Director in detail regarding STARS
reports of level C or higher. Works with Quality and Compliance
coordinator to prepare reports for Quality Improvement Program (QuIP)
monthly reviews.
- Ensures ongoing compliance with all applicable
regulatory agencies for department section (including but not limited
to: CLIA, TJC, OSHA, DPH, HCFA, FDA, AABB, NCCLS).
- Participates
in hospital-wide Quality Assurance Program as designed by regulatory
agencies, by the Quality and Patient Safety Department or by the
departmental/sectional Quality Assurance Policies.
- Participates
in planning, data collection, monitoring evaluation and action on
assigned projects within agreed upon time frames. This includes
appropriate turnaround time studies and program logs as described in the
departmental/sectional policy.
- Supports technical staff
throughout the department in management of Quality Control and Quality
Assurance data in accordance with the Quality Control Policies of the
department.
- Maintains updated Policy and Procedure Manuals using
the NCCLS format in compliance with regulatory agencies ensuring
documentation of Supervisor and Medical Director review annually and at
revision. Review performed according to schedule determined by the
Manager and Medical Director.
- Ensures familiarity with and proper usage of all required safety equipment.
- Demonstrates a concern for patient safety and welfare and a commitment to the mission.
- Utilizes hospital's Values as the basis for decision making and to facilitate the division's hospital mission.
- Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures.
- Ensures
that the section enrolls in Proficiency Surveys appropriate for the
scope of laboratory services. Analyzes the results and technical
performance of these Proficiency Surveys in accordance with out Lab
Medicine policies. Makes corrective action recommendations and
implements corrective action as required.
Technical Expertise
- Utilizing scientific experience and expertise, provides
appropriate guidance and/or resolution for problems (i.e., problems
involving analytic instrumentation equipment, tests systems clinical
correlation, therapeutic decision making, backup systems, and system
performance).
- Plans, evaluates and implements new or different methodologies and technology that enhance or expand laboratory services.
- Reviews
(monthly) documentation that all equipment and instrumentation are
properly maintained and in good working order. Ensures that appropriate
maintenance and service contracts are in place.
- Utilizing
scientific experience and expertise, provides appropriate guidance
and/or resolution for problems (i.e., problems involving analytic
instrumentation equipment, tests systems clinical correlation,
therapeutic decision making, backup systems, and system performance).
Human Resources
- Provides oversight for the interview process by coordinating
candidate selection with input from hospital staff, such as Human
Resources personnel, the Medical Director of the Laboratory Section, and
the Technical Staff. Determines selection of the appropriate candidate
to maintain desired staff in accordance with departmental
specifications for the position(s) being considered.
- Recommends salary rates for new employees while maintaining intra-departmental fairness
- Provides
oversight for the orientation of all testing personnel to ensure that
they can effectively perform procedures in accordance with laboratory
standards.
- Provides oversight of the counseling and disciplinary
action process by coordinating activities with input from hospital
staff, such as Human Resources personnel, the Medical Director of the
Laboratory section, Technical Group Leader and other personnel as
needed. Executes disciplinary action consistent with hospital and
departmental policies and procedures. Documents as required.
- Embraces the Performance Management Process by providing on-going feed-back to staff and written annual evaluations.
- Establishes
and documents a regimen for assuring the on-going proficiency of the
technical staff on, at least, an annual basis. The program should
include the following: technical procedures Laboratory Information
System safety and departmental policies.
- Provides continuing education opportunities to staff.
- Embraces and actively supports employee engagement, provides huddles and other forms of inter-departmental communication.
- Supports
the department’s educational mission. Provides support and
encouragement to Clinical Instructors, Technical Staff and Support Staff
to actively participate in education (i.e., Medical Technology Program,
Resident Training program, training of Fellows and Students as
applicable).
- Works with other managers and supervisors to ensure
the optimal utilization of the staff for the overall benefit of the
department. Facilitates cross training and other programs involved in
intersectional cooperation.
- Accurately documents staff attendance for payroll purposes and ensure compliance with hospital policy regarding time management.
- Demonstrates
a commitment to continue self-development in management skills and
scientific knowledge by attending at least one management and/or
scientific workshop per year.
- Demonstrates reliability: follows
hospital and departmental policies and procedures demonstrates
consistent attendance and punctuality at work and departmental meetings
and completes work assignments within assigned time frames.
- Effectively cooperates and communicates with staff, members of other hospital departments, and supervisor(s).
- Provides coordination and consolidation of laboratory job descriptions, updates as required.
- Assists
in implementing a program for the orientation and competency testing of
all testing personnel to ensure that they can effectively perform
procedures in accordance with laboratory standards. The program should
include the following: technical procedures Laboratory Information
Systems safety and departmental policies.
Communication
- Communicates with staff through scheduled regular meetings.
Summarizes meeting minutes in the Laboratory Information System using
mailbox function or informal minutes typed and posted in laboratory
section. Participates in recommend leadership rounding
- Works with the Administrative Director, Medical Chief, Medical Directors and other managers to achieve common goals.
- Demonstrates willingness to accept instruction, guidance and/or feedback from staff, peers, or supervisor(s).
- Effectively
communicates with the medical and nursing staff to ensure the highest
quality of service to user departments, individuals and caregivers.
- Prepares
and implements a customer service program at our laboratories.
Values and responds to customer feedback by taking corrective action to
improve suboptimal services.
Other
- Performs other duties as needed.
- Must adhere to all of our RESPECT behavioral standards.
(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required).
JOB DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS
EDUCATION:
- Requires a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or
college in Medical Technology or Clinical Laboratory Science which
includes successful completion of a supervised course of clinical
internship in an approved hospital laboratory, or a Bachelor’s degree in
an applied science (for example Chemistry, Biology or Biochemistry).
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:
Preferred:
- Certification by American Society of Clinical Pathologists
(ASCP) or National Credentialing Agency (NCA) or equivalent agency as a
Medical Technologist, Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Medical Laboratory
Technician, or specialty certification is preferred. Equivalent agency
is defined as an agency that requires a degree in science from an
accredited college or university with successful completion of an
examination for certification. Such agencies include but are not limited
to ASCP, NCA, American Medical Technologists (AMT), American
Association of Bioanalysts (AAB), Health Education and Welfare (HEW),
and American Society of Microbiologists (AMT).
EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum of 5 years full time experience in specific area of charge.
- 3 years of supervisory experience in a clinical laboratory is required.
- In
depth familiarity with requirements of accrediting agencies,
particularly The Joint Commission and College of American Pathologists.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
- Outstanding organizational and interpersonal skills as well as
strong leadership qualities so that they can effectively manage their
area of charge.
- In-depth scientific understanding of the area of
charge and must be knowledgeable about and able to perform all tasks
delineated in the job description of Medical Technologist II.
